One More Night
by Elyanna
Summary: Elena isn't as frightened as she should be when she finds out that vampires really exist. If anything, she is curious and… dare she even say it, a little excited. Then there is Damon...
1. Chapter 1

**Title: One More Night**

**Summary: Elena isn't as frightened as she should be when she finds out that vampires really exist. If anything, she is curious and… dare she even say it, a little excited. Then there is Damon.**

**Rating: M, eventually**

_Disclaimer: I don't, in any way, profit from this story. All creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s) – no copyright infringement is intended._

It had been a normal day as far as days go in Mystic Falls. Elena and Caroline had decided to have an impromptu celebration of the lack of drama in their otherwise dramatic lives with burgers, nachos and a well concealed bottle of Vodka to be consumed only during trips to the restroom. Needless to say, as the evening wore on, their appetite waned and the amount of restroom trips increased three fold.

Since Elena had discovered the existence of vampires and the fact that her kind-of boyfriend and his brother were of the undead persuasion, she hit her default switch and found it led to 'party'. She knew Caroline was happy with this about turn and thought that the 'old Elena' was back but in reality, Elena just didn't know to cope with this new information or the feelings that it stirred within her.

She knew she couldn't share with Caroline what she had found out because that would inevitably mean that she would then have to face the fact that she wasn't actually afraid. She realised that she should be but all she felt was curiosity and dare she admit it, excitement. Seeing Stefan with fangs, dark eyes and in a fit of hunger was actually something that she wanted to see more of, to explore, to talk to him about.

But when she approached the subject, he either turned away or physically removed himself from her personal space and said that the less she saw it and the less they discussed it, the better. She knew that he was trying to protect her, to make her trust him again but he didn't seem to grasp the fact that the reason she had acted the way she had at his revelation was that he didn't trust her enough to tell her earlier. Instead, he had gone to lengths so far beyond imaginable to conceal his secret.

Stefan was ashamed of his vampire nature, his true face and all that came with it and he felt embarrassed when it came to acknowledging it. Sure, he used his skills and influence to ensure that she was safe and that she would come to no harm but she wasn't stupid. She knew the possibilities of the power that he held and the way in which he fought to keep it not only under control by drinking animal blood but also buried deep so he didn't have to deal with it in any real way.

The whole situation frustrated her and she had no idea how to resolve it.

"Thinking of Stefan?" Caroline slurred as she returned to the booth, her bag tucked under her arm tightly so she didn't reveal its contents.

Elena settled for a nod which prompted a goo-ey look and a dreamy sigh.

"You guys are sooo cute together. You can tell by the way he looks at you, he's totally into you."

Elena smiled, realising her friend was right. "He is, isn't he?" She giggled, girlishly and took a sip of her soda for appearance sake.

"I just wish Damon would look at me the way Stefan looks at you." Caroline mumbled as she rested her chin on her hand, pouting.

Caroline and Damon had been on and off again for weeks now and Caroline couldn't figure out why he wasn't as into her as she was him. Elena felt a pang of guilt low in her stomach as she watched her glum friend pining. Damon was a vampire to but not only had Elena been sworn to secrecy by Stefan, she'd been sworn to secrecy by Damon.

Though the threat was implied, the sentiment was clear. If she told anyone, including her friend, about the existence of vampires then she was not only endangering Stefan and Damon, but herself and everyone close to her.

Elena decided to go for tough love to see if that would snap Caroline out of her Damon haze. "Damon's just Damon. If you don't accept him for how he is, then you'll just be disappointed."

"But he's so delicious, Elena. He's broken and he's bad but underneath all that sarcasm and eyebrow quirking he's soft and vulnerable and .. perfect for me." She sighed again, her eyes glazing over in Damon filled adoration.

Elena opened her mouth to speak but words were not forthcoming. She knew deep down that she agreed with Caroline, that somewhere underneath all of his bad boy glory that he was vulnerable and broken but that didn't excuse all of the bad things he had done - scratch that, was still doing. And all in the name of love. _Or psychopathic obsession. _

His pursuit of Katherine was something that Elena had yet to get her head round but it was reason enough for Elena to be sure that Caroline would never see Damon look at her the way she clearly wished he would.

Knowing Damon the short length of time she had, she felt sure that he didn't feel so deeply or passionate about just anyone or anything. His eyes burned and flashed at the mere mention of Katherine's name and Elena knew that his want for her was all consuming.

If she compared Damon to Stefan, they were like night and day. Damon was all fire and ice, extremes and opposites whereas Stefan was rainbows and vanilla, an ethereal beauty, comfort and safety.

She wouldn't know where to begin with a passion as strong as Damon's. She didn't think she would be able to cope if Stefan looked at her the way Damon looked when he thought about Katherine. With the variety of emotions she had been subjected to already in her relatively young life, she welcomed the security and quiet tenderness that Stefan not only projected but took great care to envelope her in. _But if only I could get him to share himself with me as I've shared myself with him..._

Elena knew that Damon was just a passing obsession for Caroline, that this was Caroline wanting what she couldn't have. She wasn't used to the chase, she was used to guys falling at her feet, swooning and begging her for a date. Damon had come along and bucked every trend and it had bugged Caroline to the point of drinking in the Grill bathroom on a Friday night.

She could see why he had Caroline chasing after him though. He had the whole mean and moody thing down to a tee with those piercing blue eyes and messy raven hair that made you want to run your fingers through it... _Where did that come from? _

Shaking her head in frustration, Elena tried to focus. "We need a plan," she said determinedly. "We're here celebrating our drama free life when really, we're commiserating."

"Hold on, why are you commiserating?" Caroline tilted her head at her friend in confusion.

Elena shook her head. "I mean, we're sat here waiting for something to happen - I'm waiting for Stefan to make his move and open up to me and you're here waiting for Damon to have a revelation and decide he _is_ into you after all."

Caroline nodded along emphatically. "Yeah, you're right. We're sat here celebrating our drama free lives when really, what we need is drama!"

"Well, we need something." Elena nodded along to, caught up in her own motivational speech. "I say we need a plan. We need to take charge."

"You need to talk to Stefan." Caroline flailed her arms at Elena wildly.

"You need to make Damon jealous." Elena wagged a finger back at her. It was the only way she could think to deflect her friend's attention.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Caroline marveled at the sheer genius of this suggestion.

"Because you're wasted?" Elena hiccupped and picked up Caroline's purse. "And shortly, I will be to."

"No shortly about it!" Caroline waved Elena away from the booth before resting her head on her forearm on the table.

Carefully, Elena weaved her way to the restroom trying to make sure she didn't attract attention from any of the patrons or bar staff. Having successfully navigated her way through the tables, she entered the bathroom only to find it already occupied by what appeared to be a couple making out.

"Oops, sorry..." Elena attempted to back up but hit her elbow on the door handle and stumbled backwards.

It was only when she didn't hit the floor that she realised that she was being cradled in someone's arms. Damon's arms.

"What the?" She could feel her heart pounding with the sudden disorientation and her sudden proximity to Damon.

"Stupid lock." He mumbled.

He had started talking to her but she couldn't focus on what he was saying as she was too fixated on the crimson blood smeared across his lips and at the corner of his mouth. Her eyes lifted and met his gaze, black orbs rimmed with black veins. She couldn't help but raise her hand to trace the dark web around his right eye but before her skin could make contact with his, she was unceremoniously dropped to the floor.

Struggling to sit up, she rested on her right elbow to watch the back of Damon as he mumbled something to the girl he had been previously occupied with. Without a word, the girl stepped around him, over Elena and back out into the Grill. It was then Elena's eyes snapped into sharp focus and she saw how angry he truly was.

Deciding a pre-emptive strike was best, she tilted her chin up at him as defiantly as she could and said, "I'm not afraid of you."

With a flash he was crouching over her.

"Well, you should be." He leaned forward ever so slightly, his face just millimeters from hers. "I could drain everyone in this bar dry before you could even get to your feet."

"But you won't." Elena was mesmerised now, lost in the depths of his gaze.

"You seem so sure." He tilted his head as he studied her face with equal curiosity.

"I am." She murmured as she felt a warm rush sweep over her.

"I'm not a hero, Elena. I'm not a good guy." It may have been her imagination but she was sure that she saw a flash of sorrow cross his face before he carefully schooled his features back to neutral.

Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Why didn't you didn't kill her then? Isn't that what you do?"

"It's not all I do." The blackness of his eyes receded and he winked. "What would you like me to tell you?"

"The truth." A shiver chased the length of Elena's spine as she prepared herself for his response.

"I showed her things that your pretty little mind can't even begin to conceive of. I did things to her that you wouldn't even know the name of. We drank each other's blood until we were so drunk on each other we couldn't see straight and just when I thought we were done she begged me to do it all over again."

Elena gulped. She had nothing to say about that but it had given her plenty to think about.

He laughed then, loudly and his grin practically split his face in half. It was one of the most beautiful things Elena had ever seen and she hadn't been prepared for it. This man, this vampire was making her feel all kinds of weird and she had no idea what to do about it.

For the first time in months, rainbows and vanilla were the furthest things from her mind.

* * *

**A/N Yes, this is a new story! 'Everything's Made to be Broken' has been taken down until I can clear my mind enough to feel like I'm doing it justice… This one kind of burrowed into my mind before I gave in and laid out Chapter 1 so I hope you like 'One More Night' enough to hit 'Follow' or even better, to leave me a review – my battered muse would be extremely grateful!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: One More Night**

**Summary: Elena isn't as frightened as she should be when she finds out that vampires really exist. If anything, she is curious and… dare she even say it, a little excited. Then there is Damon.**

**Rating: M, eventually**

_Disclaimer: I don't, in any way, profit from this story. All creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s) – no copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

_"I showed her things that your pretty little mind can't even begin to conceive of. I did things to her that you wouldn't even know the name of. We drank each other's blood until we were so drunk on each other we couldn't see straight and just when I thought we were done she begged me to do it all over again."_

_Elena gulped. She had nothing to say about that but it had given her plenty to think about._

_He laughed then, loudly and his grin practically split his face in half. It was one of the most beautiful things Elena had ever seen and she hadn't been prepared for it. This man, this vampire was making her feel all kinds of weird and she had no idea what to do about it._

_For this first time in months, rainbows and vanilla were the furthest thing from her mind._

* * *

It was Sunday, two nights since her drunken encounter with Damon at the Grill and Elena knew she was in big trouble. Those words that he had said to her, those things that he said he had done kept rattling around her skull. Just like he knew they would.

She hadn't seen him since he had blurred out of the Grill, leaving her in a disoriented heap on the floor. When she'd managed to find her way back out to Caroline, she'd feigned too much alcohol and demanded that they go home. She hadn't dared confide in her friend what she had seen and what Damon had said to her. Instead, she opted for a much earlier night than she had planned, trying to sleep off the effects of her Damon encounter.

Now she was sat on Stefan's bed, waiting for him to return from his hunt and she was restless. She knew Damon was somewhere in the house, his leather jacket had been slung without thought across the living room couch and his favourite bottle of bourbon was missing from the drinks tray along with 'his glass'.

Stefan's clock read 8:58pm. She had been here for almost half an hour and Stefan was late. If she thought he was going to leave her waiting around, she wouldn't have risked coming to the Boarding House knowing she'd be potentially left alone with the man who had been plaguing her thoughts for forty eight hours straight. For no other reason than the fact that he was clearly a monster in more than one sense of the word. _Yeah, right._

She shook her head and stood up, smoothing the bed sheets before she exited the room.

* * *

Damon was having the time of his life. Or so he kept telling himself. In front of him was the hottest Alpha Delta Zappa Beta something or other and she was performing the sexiest little strip tease he had seen in decades. His favourite Bourbon was warming his throat and the visual was tenting his jeans but it was the sound of Elena's heartbeat and nervous breaths that sent a shiver up his spine that he hadn't experienced since he'd first fallen for Katherine. Just knowing she was close had his skin feeling too tight and his lungs burning with the need to go to her.

Ever since their encounter in the Grill bathroom he had been as excited as a teenage boy, a novelty for someone who had enjoyed years of self-control.

He'd smelt her arousal when he'd said those words to her, knew that the words he had spoken were the articulation of her darkest desires and deepest fantasies. She was a revelation to him - the fact that she meant it when she was said she wasn't afraid of him.

The Zappa Beta chick made it down to her panties as the chorus of Rihanna's S&M kicked in. He felt his fangs push against his gums at the thought of sinking his teeth into her femoral artery. Blocking all thoughts of Elena from his mind, he closed down his senses until he could hear nothing but the sound of the Delta Zappa's blood pumping through her veins. He knew that all this was a distraction, that when the fog of blood lust had risen, the dull ache in his chest would come back full force. Until then, he'd just have to settle for taking the edge off.

* * *

What possessed her to walk beyond the top of the staircase and into the darkness of the East wing of the Boarding House, she didn't want to dwell on. Curiosity, perhaps. Naiveté, definitely. Need, absolutely. Her conscience was scrambling for an alternative such as, to pass on a message or to see where the loud music was coming from. But the tremble in her hands as she rested her palm against the cool mahogany frame of Damon's bedroom door told her everything she needed to know. She wanted to see him, she simply had to. Even if it was just to yell at him for leaving her the way that he did and for saying the things that he had said.

Taking a deep breath, she tentatively pushed open the door.

Nothing could have prepared her for the scene that burned instantly onto her brain in that moment. The milky flesh of Damon's flexing back and corded thighs as he pinned a clearly excited blonde girl to the wall as he pounded relentlessly into her.

She could hear it then, beneath the pounding bass and explicit lyrics, the guttural groans that were escaping him as he neared his release. His head was tipped forward, resting on the shoulder of the blonde as she dug her fingers into his scalp, whispered dirty words into his ears and threw her left leg around his hip.

Elena couldn't contain a gasp when she saw him turn his head, slowly and deliberately so that his glacial eyes could meet hers. His hips sped up and his brow furrowed, his eyes fixing her to the spot. It was like they were suspended in time, connected by a look and yet being drawn into a current of desire that neither of them knew how they could escape. A moan escaped her lips when she saw him snarl as the ice darkened to black and he bared his fangs, yelling out as he came.

His yell startled her into action, her brain and feet kicking into autopilot as she fled along the corridor and almost tripped down the staircase as she took them two at a time.

She was struggling to breathe as she flung open the door of the Boarding House only to collide with Stefan on the porch.

"Elena? What happened?"

She swallowed hard as she fought to regain control of herself under his scrutiny. His face was full of concern and his hands were running reassuringly up and down her forearms as she shook under his touch.

"Nothing, you just scared me." She attempted a wry smile and an eye-roll but his knitted brow told her he only half believed her.

"Sorry I'm late. I lost track of time."

"It's ok – you're here now." She smiled and leaned into his embrace, nuzzling into his shoulder.

"How about I order you a take-out pizza to make up for it?" He squeezed her playfully.

Stepping back she nodded and summoned up the brightest smile she could. "Sounds good."

Taking her hand, he led back inside but all she could hear echoing in her ear was Damon's yell – _"Elena"._

_**Sorry for the delay in posting – a long boring story which has no place here. I hope you guys are still interested in this story – thank you so much for the follows, favourites and reviews for the first chapter :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: One More Night**

**Summary: Elena isn't as frightened as she should be when she finds out that vampires really exist. If anything, she is curious and… dare she even say it, a little excited. Then there is Damon. **

**Rating: M, eventually **

_Disclaimer: I don't, in any way, profit from this story. All creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s) – no copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

_She swallowed hard as she fought to regain control of herself under his scrutiny. His face was full of concern and his hands were running reassuringly up and down her forearms as she shook under his touch. _

"_Nothing, you just scared me." She attempted a wry smile and an eye-roll but his knitted brow told her he only half believed her._

"_Sorry I'm late. I lost track of time."_

"_It's ok – you're here now." She smiled and leaned into his embrace, nuzzling into his shoulder._

"_How about I order you a take-out pizza to make up for it?" He squeezed her playfully._

_Stepping back she nodded and summoned up the brightest smile she could. "Sounds good."_

_Taking her hand, he led back inside but all she could hear echoing in her ear was Damon's yell – "Elena"._

* * *

"Are vampires like, more... you know, than humans?" Elena worriedly chewed on her bottom lip, looking over her latte at Lexi.

"Sorry hun, I didn't quite follow you round that bend." Lexi's brow was furrowed in confusion. "I know I said ask me anything but you really are going to have to be a little more specific."

When Lexi had blown into town two days ago, after being reassured by Stefan that his relationship with her was purely platonic, Elena had decided to take advantage of Lexi's openness and bald honesty. Knowing she wouldn't find the answers she was looking for from Stefan, she figured Lexi was her best bet in assembling the puzzle that was vampirism. After all, how could she be sure of herself in her relationship with Stefan if she didn't have the first idea about his real nature. _And how could she reconcile Damon's nocturnal activities with the man she dreamed he could be when she turned her bedroom light out at night._

"I mean, are they more... prone to sleepingwithlotsofpeople." A blush crept up from her neck to her cheeks as she remembered

Lexi laughed, apparently unphased by her question. "Not necessarily but it makes it easier to enjoy those kind of encounters when you're a vampire as you're less likely to be inclined to think about anything other than the pleasure you are seeking."

"But those kind of encounters are emotionless?"

"Vampires can love Elena. Stefan and I are living proof of that. But does that mean we love everyone that we have slept with? No, it doesn't. Really, vampires aren't that much different to humans when it comes to lust and love and sex and all that goes with it – we're just less likely to feel guilty about finding pleasure."

"Which kind of brings me back to my original question…"

"So you mean because we're not prone to guilt tripping, we're more likely to do whatever feels good? Perhaps but again, every vampire is different.

She hesitated a little before looking down at her latte and mumbled, "So, Damon?"

Lexi snorted. "Damon is a very special case. He is so blinded by his emotions - love, lust and desire that he cannot think straight. His actions are driven only by the pursuit of his lost loved one."

"Even if she doesn't love him back?"

"Even if. I mean, logic has no place in Damon's brain right now - it hasn't for years. If he's not in active pursuit of Katherine, he's enjoying a distraction. But that's all it is. A release, a bit of fun, letting off steam."

"Then why doesn't he turn off his emotions?" Elena mused out loud. Why would anyone put themselves through all that pain and yearning?

"Because emotions are what make us feel alive. They are what give us hope. Without his emotions, he is hopeless and that might be the worst torture a vampire can ever endure." Lexi looked out of the window, as though she were reliving a memory from a long time ago.

Elena sipped at her latte nervously, wondering if she had perhaps given too much away.

Lexi shrugged shoulders as though shrugging off a bad dream. "Elena, you have nothing to worry about. Stefan is not the type of guy to sleep around and he certainly isn't Damon if that's what you're worried about. He's not harbouring a secret crush on his ex-honey."

Of course Stefan was nothing like Damon. Stefan wanted her for all of who she was, he didn't sleep around and say things to her that messed with her head and made her think she wanted things that she really didn't want.

"You're right - you're absolutely right." Elena smiled.

"I always am." Lexi smirked and flicked her hair. "Which is why Stefan tasked me with convincing you that a pool party is a good idea."

"You mean Stefan and Caroline?" Elena giggled.

"Well, yeah of course. Damn, that girl can plan a party."

Elena had been on a downer about the pool party ever since her latest Damon encounter almost a week ago but the pep talk from Lexi had made her feel ten times better. Things were back in a perspective that she could handle and that meant that she no longer had a reason to veto the Salvatore pool party.

It was likely that Damon wouldn't attend something so juvenile but even if he did, what did she have to be afraid of? Nothing had happened between them and now she was sure that nothing ever would. He was hung up on his ex and any interest he had shown in her was merely him distracting himself until he could get his hands on the real deal. The fact that she looked like his ex probably made her even more desirable to him. But she, Elena Gilbert, was certain of one thing. She wasn't anybody's distraction.

"I guess it isn't so bad an idea."

"Hell yeah!" Lexi pounded the table with her fist. "Let's party chica!"

* * *

Music pulsed from the giant speakers strategically placed around the giant pool as half of Elena's class frolicked in the water and danced on the patio. Caroline had had a fit when she had seen the size of the Salvatore grounds and practically had a coronary when she saw the larger than average pool. There was no way that even Elena could have prevented her from holding a social event here - and it turned out that even Stefan had warmed to the idea.

"That's because he get's a free pass to ogle you in your bikini." Caroline nodded solemnly as she sipped at her non-alocholic cocktail.

"That is not why Stefan agreed to this at all." Elena giggled and dipped her head shyly.

"Have you guys even done it yet?"

"Caroline!" Elena and Bonnie groaned simultaneously.

"I mean, seriously. He's so into you, you're so into him..."

"It's not as straight forward as that." Elena scrambled for an explanation without sounding totally lame. Then he appeared.

"Ladies and gentleman." His voice boomed loudly and everyone turned to pay attention to what he was about to say next. Given the fact he was wearing unbuttoned black jeans and a lei around his neck, she could she why. "If anyone would like to really get this party started, please come and see me for a Slow Comfortable Screw, Between The Sheets or a Screaming Orgasm." He raised a cherry coloured liquid in a lavish cocktail glass and took up residence on a vacant sun-lounger next to Bonnie who was sat on Elena's left side.

"Can you believe that guy?" Bonnie looked at him disgustedly and pointedly turned her back to him.

Caroline flushed scarlet and looked at Damon hopefully. Unfortunately for her, his eyes were trained elsewhere - on Amber Shaw, the sluttiest and hottest girl in their class - who was currently doing handstands in the pool and making a half-hearted attempted to keep a hold on her bikini top.

"Seriously, Elena - have you not, you know..." Bonnie whispered to Elena, clearly not realising that it would be loud enough for vampire ears who were already in close quarters.

Elena struggled to refocus as she watched Damon watching Amber. Why did it bother her so much? He was clearly well on his way to finding his next distraction.

She turned and looked Bonnie right in the eye. "Not yet but definitely soon. I mean, it's not like we're waiting for any reason. We just haven't found the right time. But when we do, I'm sure it'll be amazing."

Elena looked over at Damon, not missing his derisive snort as he pretended to be totally uninterested in the conversation taking place right next to him. He was bothered and now she was smug._ Take that, asshole._

"Amber, why don't you come over and rub some sunscreen on me?" Damon practically purred as he beckoned her to his lounger.

Elena, Caroline and Bonnie couldn't help but stare as she approached, hips swaying and sun lotion already in hand.

"Where would you like me to start?" She said seductively.

Damon stood up and dropped his jeans to the floor, revealing black bathing shorts. "You can start on my back and work your way round... I mean... down." He chuckled with a sideways glance at Elena.

Watching him openly flirt with the class trollop pushed buttons in Elena she never knew she had. Seeing Stefan approaching, she decided to be bold. Standing up, making sure that Damon had a good eyeful of her body clad in her black cut out swimsuit, she stretched and pointedly bent over to reach for her empty glass.

"Stefan, honey. I'm empty. Fill me up?" She smiled at her boyfriend coquettishly and flicked her hair as she held out her glass.

When Stefan smiled and took her glass, she could have sworn she heard a growl from Damon as she giggled and sat back down, crossing her bare tanned legs.

_Two can play at that game._

* * *

She was driving him crazy - like certifiably crazy. She was dressed in a cut out black swimsuit and was flexing and bending right in front of his eyes. Did she not realise he was seconds away from throwing her over his shoulder and showing her exactly what a Screaming Orgasm was?

He knew he should be more careful, especially around Stefan and a crowd of humans but seeing her exposed flesh was playing havoc with his instincts.

He should be out looking for Anna, trying to find out Katherine's whereabouts but here he was, at a high school pool party trying to get the attention of his brother's girl. _God, it's like 1864 all over again._

He knew she was drawn to him. But she was fighting it. She may not have slept with Saint Stefan just yet but she was planning to. And by then it would be too late. Her conscience was already wrestling with itself now but if she and Stefan ever slept together, it would be even harder to get her to realise exactly what it was they had.

_Undeniable, inescapable animal attraction._

As he tried not show his irritation at Amber's rather unsubtle attempts to seduce him by sliding her hands under the waistband of his shorts, he saw Elena step around him, explaining to her friends that she was going to find her sunscreen.

"Excuse me, Amber. I just remembered that I have somewhere else to be." He unceremoniously shoved her off the end of the lounger before following Elena inside.

_**AN: Hey guys, thank you SO much for all the favourites, follows and reviews for the last chapter - they mean so much to me :) **_


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: One More Night**

**Summary: Elena isn't as frightened as she should be when she finds out that vampires really exist. If anything, she is curious and… dare she even say it, a little excited. Then there is Damon. **

**Rating: M, eventually **

_Disclaimer: I don't, in any way, profit from this story. All creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s) – no copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

_He knew she was drawn to him. But she was fighting it. She may not have slept with Saint Stefan just yet but she was planning to. And by then it would be too late. Her conscience was already wrestling with itself now but if she and Stefan ever slept together, it would be even harder to get her to realise exactly what it was they had._

_Undeniable, inescapable animal attraction._

_As he tried not show his irritation at Amber's rather unsubtle attempts to seduce him by sliding her hands under the waistband of his shorts, he saw Elena step around him, explaining to her friends that she was going to find her sunscreen._

_"Excuse me, Amber. I just remembered that I have somewhere else to be." He unceremoniously shoved her off the end of the lounger before following Elena inside._

* * *

"Are you trying to kill me?" Damon spoke to Elena's back as she rummaged through her backpack in the shadowed hallway. When she didn't respond, he couldn't contain his growl of annoyance. "Elena, look at me."

She turned then, slowly but purposefully, her breasts heaving against the smooth black material of her swimsuit as she fought to maintain her composure. "I have no idea what you're talking about." _Breathe. Don't let him get to you._

He tilted his head as his hungry gaze drank in her body. "Quite the little tease aren't we?"

She snorted. "I think Amber has me beat hands down on that score."

"And jealous to." His lips curled into a smirk. "Very interesting."

"Asshole." She spat.

He chuckled. "You are so wrapped up in the idea of good and evil and right and wrong that you miss out on all the things that make you feel good."

"Stefan makes me feel good."

"But I make you feel better than good, don't I? And you're pretty little head can't figure out why that is – why does the bad, evil vampire make you feel things that the cuddly, de-fanged Care Bear can't?"

"You're not as smart as you think you are – why do you think it's ok to mess with my head like this?"

"Trust me; there are other parts of you that I'd rather be messing with…"

She felt a spark of fury unfurl in her gut. "How dare you? I'm dating your brother or have you forgotten? And you are meant to be pining for your long lost love! Instead you're trying to seduce anything within a ten mile radius that happens to have a pulse."

"My brother's feelings are of no concern to me, Elena. And the sooner you realise that the better."

"I don't believe you." She tipped her chin forward indignantly.

"I don't care." He spoke quietly as he stepped forward to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear.

"You only want me because I look like her." She swallowed hard as his finger trailed down her cheek and along her jawline.

"How is it that you can level that accusation at me and not at my brother?" Damon looked at her now, as though he were amused.

"Because it is you that has spent decades pursuing her." She gasped as he traced her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb.

"Maybe it is time for a change of pursuit." He said thoughtfully, enjoying her responsiveness to his touch.

"Not if it means you continue to do evil things and dress them up in the name of love." The words escaped Elena in a rush and almost as soon as she'd spoken them she regretted it. He dropped his arm back to his side, her body already screaming at the loss of his touch.

The indigo gaze that he had been caressing her with seconds ago cooled to ice and his lips, smiling and seductive, straightened into a thin tight line. "You really think you have me all figured out, don't you?"

"Don't I?" She crossed her arms across her chest as she attempted to suppress a shiver.

"I believed you when you said you weren't afraid of me but I don't think you comprehend how naïve that makes you."

"You wouldn't hurt me." Her voice wavered slightly, giving away her doubt. As did her taking a tentative step backwards against the staircase.

"Oh, I don't intend to hurt you. Well, not unless you beg me to." He stepped forward and rested his hands on her hips.

He couldn't contain his reaction to her physical proximity, the front of his swimming shorts becoming tighter as he growled and pulled her against him, their bodies pressed together from torso to thigh.

Elena's breathing became laboured as her vision swam with the assault on her senses, she was frozen – her mind short circuiting with indecision between running away or staying exactly where she was. She whimpered. "Please."

"Please what? Hurt you?" He murmured, his eyes darting across the features of her face, trying to decode the signals her body was sending out, even though she was clearly unaware of them herself.

"Don't." She inhaled deeply to steady her nerves, frightened of moving incase it triggered off a chain of events that she couldn't nor wouldn't want to escape from.

"What are you afraid of?" His hands slipped around to the small of her back and down the slope of her ass.

"You're dangerous, Damon."

"And you love it." He ground against her and she panted shamelessly at the bolts of sensation that shot through her body.

Before she could comprehend what was happening, he'd bent his head into the slope of her neck and instinctively, she moved to allow him better access. She felt the hot exhalation of his breath as he whispered against her skin. "Just a little taste…"

It was like she was suspended in time, poised at the edge of a cliff about to soar off into what she could only assume would be paradise.

"Elena?"

And then life crashed over her like a tidal wave.

_**A/N - I know, I know... a cliffhanger *hides* Those of you who have read After Dark know I'm fond of those! Thank you SO much for the overwhelming response to the last chapter and your lovely reviews. As always, they are inspiring. I hope you like this chaper just as much!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: One More Night**

**Summary: Elena isn't as frightened as she should be when she finds out that vampires really exist. If anything, she is curious and… dare she even say it, a little excited. Then there is Damon. **

**Rating: M, eventually **

_Disclaimer: I don't, in any way, profit from this story. All creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator(s) – no copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

"_You're dangerous, Damon."_

"_And you love it." He ground against her and she panted shamelessly at the bolts of sensation that shot through her body. _

_Before she could comprehend what was happening, he'd bent his head into the slope of her neck and instinctively, she moved to allow him better access. She felt the hot exhalation of his breath as he whispered against her skin. "Just a little taste…" _

_It was like she was suspended in time, poised at the edge of a cliff about to soar off into what she could only assume would be paradise. _

"_Elena?"_

_And then life crashed over her like a tidal wave._

* * *

"Elena? Damon?"

Caroline's arrival made them jump apart almost comically, Damon adjusting himself whilst Elena swiped at her neck to check for blood. He hadn't actually bitten her. _Thank god. _

"What are you guy's doing?"

Elena, struggling for a viable explanation, looked to Damon. He smirked and winked before turning to walk slowly towards Caroline.

She couldn't hear what was being said but she could hear his faint murmurings as Caroline started to nod and then mumbled something back to him. He dropped an arm around her shoulder and stood next to her, both of them now looking at Elena expectantly.

"Well?" Caroline spoke loudly. "When were you going to tell me?"

Elena could feel a bead of sweat trickle down the back of her neck. "Tell you what, Car?"

"That Damon wants us to go on a double date with him and Stefan?" She looked at Elena like she had grown a second head. "That is like super-important information."

"Sorry, Car." Elena mumbled and wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly chilly.

"Silly, Elena." Damon mock chided and nuzzled his head into Caroline's hair.

"Hey guys, the party's outside you know." Lexi and Stefan appeared carrying a crate of beer and a crate of bottles filled with various shot concoctions.

Caroline turned to Damon and grinned, taking his hand to lead him back out to the pool. She was more animated than Elena had seen in her days and though on one level she was happy that her friend was happy, she couldn't account for the knot in her gut that felt an awful lot like jealousy.

* * *

Elena hadn't been able to bring herself to go back to the party. Instead she had feigned a headache and gone to bed early, spending a restless half hour tossing and turning under Stefan's sheets. This way, she didn't have to witness Damon fawning over her friend either. She would need some time to prepare for that; for their 'double date'.

By the time Stefan had come up to check on her with some painkillers and a glass of water, she had worked herself up into quite the state. She had to get out of this double date and she had to do it fast.

"Stefan, your brother compelled my friend." Elena was visibly agitated.

"Into going on a date with him. Something I'm sure she would have done without the aid of any compulsion." He was doing his best to appease her but it wasn't working.

"A date with us, Stefan. Us. As in me and you." She hopped out of bed and began pacing the room.

"I know you and Damon really don't get along and trust me, I understand why but don't you think that this gives us a way to keep an eye on him? It's when he's off being all secretive and smirky that we really need to worry."

Elena sighed with annoyance. "Yes, I understand all of that. But besides the fact that I don't want to be around him, Caroline is not meant to know he is a vampire. And the more he is around her and uses his vampire influence on her the more likely it is that his secret will come out. And then so will yours and then…"

"Elena. Stop. Please." He grabbed her arm and stopped her mid-pace. "Damon is a lot of things and stupid isn't one of them. He knows exactly what he is doing and it isn't in his interests to out either of us to Caroline or anyone else in Mystic Falls for that matter. Whilst he is with us, then we can be sure that everyone else is safe."

Elena visibly sagged, realising she had no option to admit defeat. Everything Stefan had said made sense. "You're right." She stepped into his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder.

He encircled her in his arms and rubbed slow circles on the bottom of her back. "I'll protect you, Elena. You don't need to worry about my brother."

She blinked hard, trying to shake the feeling that Stefan had just made a promise to her that she knew he could never keep. _And she wasn't sure she wanted him to._

* * *

Elena crossed and uncrossed her legs anxiously as she sipped at her soda in an attempt to distract herself from the situation she was now in and had no hope of getting out of. Friday night at the Boarding House, date night. _Correction, double date night._

"What's with you?" Caroline whispered, totally unaware that whispering was futile in a house with two hundred-plus-year old vampires.

"Nothing, why?" She raised her eyebrows in her best attempt at deflection.

"You're as skittish as Bambi on ice." Caroline frowned, clearly not falling for Elena's tactic.

"I guess I'm still feeling a bit under the weather but other than that, I'm all good." At Caroline's sceptical head tilt, she nodded furiously. "Really, I am."

"Well, good evening ladies." Damon swept into the room holding three full, tall and expensive looking glasses and presented one each to Elena and Caroline. Elena tried not to stare at him but it was impossible – his midnight blue shirt, black jeans and biker boots were just so _him_ but for some reason all she could think about was what they hid underneath.

"I don't think drinking is such a good idea…" Elena said, fully aware of how ridiculous she sounded.

"Nonsense – this isn't burger and fries at the Grill, this is a five star meal which deserves a five star aperitif." He scolded.

Caroline squealed as she sipped at the frothy bubbles. "Champagne!"

"Only the best for my girl." Damon leaned and kissed the top of Caroline's head whilst looking sideways at Elena with a smirk.

She gasped at the intensity of his gaze and the implication of his words.

"I can't believe you're cooking for us." Caroline gushed, as she guzzled down half of her drink.

"Neither can I." Stefan walked in swigging from a bottle of beer and smiling lopsidedly at Damon.

"Well, when the two best looking girls in Mystic Falls agreed to grace us with their presence for the evening, what else was a gentleman to do?"

Stefan shook his head at his brother's theatrical response and sat on the couch next to Elena. Elena could feel the calmness radiating from him and immediately she felt better. She felt Stefan's hand interlink with hers and she clasped it tightly. He quirked an eyebrow in reassurance and she managed a tight smile.

Across the room, Caroline was giggling on the other couch, now wound around Damon who had sat down beside her. He was whispering into her ear and she was blushing wildly.

Elena's mind raced back to the moment before Caroline had interrupted to them in the hallway, when his lips were pressed to the heated flesh of her neck and her vein had been pulsing against his tongue. She recrossed her legs and gulped loudly, raising the glass of champagne to her lips for a distraction.

"Taste's good doesn't it? Like velvet on the tongue and honey in the throat." Damon had extricated himself from Caroline without Elena even noticing, sat with his elbows resting on his knees and his own glass dangling provocatively in the open space between his legs.

"I thought Bourbon was your favourite drink?" Caroline piped up, desperate to regain his attention.

Without removing his eyes from Elena, he shook his head. "My regular drink, yes. But not my favourite. My favourite drink is something much more delectable and decadent."

Stefan stood abruptly, aware that his brother was sailing close to the wind with his ambiguous innuendo. "Dinner should be about ready, right?" The last word was laced with an intonation that Damon couldn't misconstrue.

"Of course. Ladies?" He stood and made a sweeping gesture towards the kitchen. "The dining area is this way."

Unsure if she was able to stand at that precise moment, Elena switched her glass to her other hand so she could use the arm rest to securely lift herself from her seat. Caroline was way ahead of her, Stefan directing her to the nearest bathroom whilst Damon hung back. If she hadn't known better she would have thought he was being gentlemanly.

A door chime echoed throughout the room, causing her to visibly jump. Elena watched Damon and Stefan exchange questioning looks before Stefan disappeared into the hallway.

Damon turned to her, faster than a flash. "I haven't had a chance before now to tell you this but you are looking delectable this evening. Good enough to eat, in fact."

"I won't let you bite me." Elena wished her voice was steady as her resolve.

He leaned into her and rubbed the smooth line of his cheek against hers. "I didn't mean bite."

"You want someone else." She whispered into his neck, the smell of him – champagne and the sea – totally paralysing her.

"So do you." He leaned back slightly so he could rest his forehead against hers. "But you need me."

The champagne glass shattered in her hand as she fought against the swell of desire buckling her at the knees.

"Damon, we have company." Stefan yelled from the hallway, sounding as distant as if he were stood on the other side of the world.

Struggling to piece herself back together, Elena stumbled backwards, panting at the sight of rivulets of blood dripping from her fingers.

"We'll continue this later." Damon groaned, his eyes fading to black at the scent of her blood.

Before he could turn to exit the room, a figure appeared in the archway.

"Hello, Damon. Long time, no see."

_**A/N - Thank you all once again for your great reviews and follows/alerts. The muse is incredibly grateful :) I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!**_


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